1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to acidic compositions, and more particularly but not by way of limitation, to an acidic glass cleaning composition having a pH value of less than about 1.
2. Brief Discussion of the Prior Art
Large quantities of glassware are often used in laboratories in the carrying out of experiments, and for storage of chemical compounds and the like. Such glassware must be cleaned prior to use to insure that the glassware is substantially free of impurities such as residue, deposits and the like which may be present as a result of a prior use of the glassware.
Numerous compositions have heretofore been employed to clean laboratory glassware, such as aqueous detergent solutions, caustic solutions, acidic solutions and organic solvents. However, the use of such glass cleaning compositions often creates serious disposal problems; and certain of the compositions are extremely corrosive or flamable. Further, the use of the prior art glass cleaning compositions are generally very time consuming in that they require handscrubbing and numerous rinsing of the glassware to insure removal of any residue from the glassware, including any residues formed on the glassware by the cleaning compositions.
Numerous advances have been made in recent years in the area of detergents for cleaning glassware. However, even the improved detergents appear to be limited as to the types of residue, deposits and the like which can be effectively removed from laboratory glassware. Further, the use of such new and improved detergent compositions often requires one to subject the glassware to scrubbing in the presence of the detergent composition, either by hand or with an automatic dishwashing machine, and numerous rinses of the clean glassware to insure removal of deposits therefrom. Because of the necessity of using substantially clean glassware in the conducting of experiments in the laboratory, and in the storage of chemical compositions, new and improved glass cleaning compositions are highly desirable, especially glass cleaning compositions which are safe to use, non-flamable, and which can be safely disposed of without damage to the sewer system.